Hidden Danger
by Nishaya
Summary: Merlin is troubled by traumatic memories stirring up. It is up to Gwaine and Lancelot to help him get better before Arthur finds out about his magic. To make things worse, Merlin's actions bring a hidden danger. (slightly OOC, NO slash)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi, this is my first story so my writing style might not be the best. I have been working on this story a lot and I hope you like it.**

**Information about story: **Lancelot is alive, don't ask me how. Uther is dead, Arthur is king, Gwen is queen. I have no idea where in the series this story would fit so I suggest not trying to place it.

**Disclaimer: **I go on a trip and take with me; Merlin. Oh wait, I don't own him!

* * *

"...at one point he even climbed up a tree." Everyone has been listening to Gwaine's mindless chatter for hours. Though, this particular story seems to have peeked Arthur's interest.

"Wait, Merlin climbed up a tree all by himself?"

Gwaine nods.

"People do crazy things when they're scared, sire." Leon adds.

"I wasn't scared." Merlin says defensively, "I was-"

"Acting like a real princess." Gwaine causes everyone to laugh. Merlin wants to protest but is again cut off.

"What happened next?" Arthur asks eagerly.

"The boar turned around and decided to take his anger out on me instead. He looked me straight in the eye and I could see the fury inside of him. He charged at me with his big pointy tusks and with one swing of my sword he dropped to the ground."

"And that, my friends, is how the damsel in distress was heroically rescued by the handsome knight in shining armor." Lancelot grins.

"Sadly enough I wasn't wearing my armor. However, I've heard from many women that I indeed _am_ very handsome."

Merlin snorts.

"What's so funny Merlin? Are you jealous?" Arthur teases him.

"Absolutely not! I too have been complemented on my looks by a woman."

Arthur laughs. "A woman... complementing you...on your looks? You must be joking!"

"Actually sire, he is not." Lancelot smiles.

"Really now, I've got to hear this."

"Well, not long ago he and I visited a tavern. After numerous women passing by our table there was one woman who fancied Merlin more than me."

"Was she pretty?" Gwaine immediately asks.

"It looked like she was growing a mustache." Merlin dead-panned. Everyone bursts out laughing. Even though Merlin is being teased he finds is amusing. He hasn't had this much fun in a while.

"Tell me Merlin, what did she say?" Arthur asks after they calm down a bit.

"She said my face looks cute..." Everyone bursts out laughing again. "...and then she pinched my cheek." Gwaine and Arthur convulse with laughter. Tears roll down their faces and they have trouble breathing.

"Merlin you really do look adorable." Gwaine reaches out his hand, "Let me pinch those adorable cheeks of yours."

"Those were the best stories I've heard in a long time." Arthur says after finally catching his breath.

They seem to have taken a break from storytelling. It has now been silent for a good ten minutes, apart from the occasional chuckle here and there. Merlin looks up at the blue sky and closes his eyes. He embraces the silence and lets the sounds of nature fill his mind.

'Emrys!' Merlin recognizes the voice inside his head. He panics and accidentally kicks the horse, causing it to suddenly jump forward. Merlin loses his balance and falls off. Still panicking, he quickly gets back to his feet. He frantically turns around and around looking between the trees trying to find the druid who spoke to him. _He has to be close by to use telepathy._ He turns around a couple more times and finally gives up when he doesn't see anything. _I must have imagined it_. Since the day they were ambushed a few months ago Merlin has been feeling tense and afraid whenever they go on a patrol. He takes a deep breath and calms down. He remembers he is not alone and realizes how odd his behavior must have seemed when he looks up at the others who stare at him confused.

"What are you doing?" Arthur asks with his usual scowl whenever Merlin does something weird or clumsy.

"Did you see something?" Leon adds while looking around.

"No, it was nothing."

"Are you hurt?" Lancelot gets off his horse and reaches out for Merlin's arm. Merlin didn't notice until now that he has been holding his left arm since he fell off his horse. Holding his arm has become a habit since he got that nasty scar. Merlin lowers it so that his sleeve covers the scar. No one knows about it and he likes to keep it that way.

"I'm fine." He dusts the dirt off his clothes.

Arthur sighs, "You can be such an idiot Merlin."

"I'm sorry, sire."

"Just get back on your horse." Merlin climbs back on his horse and Gwaine continues his endless story. Merlin is not listening, instead he is staring at the mane of his horse moving with every step. _Did I really imagine it? It felt so real._ This has been the usual thought running through his head every time he wakes up from a nightmare. This is the first time in a while that it happened again during the day. Merlin shivers as the memories he thought to have blocked out slowly seep back in. He can't do anything about the memories haunting his dreams at night but that doesn't bother him as much as being haunted by them during the day. People would notice and ask questions, he doesn't want to reminisce the whole thing again. The memories seep into his mind one by one. It's as if the voice was a trigger. He shakes his head as a means to rid his mind of the memories.

'Emrys I need to speak with you!' Merlin freezes, he wasn't imagining it after all. The voice is real.

'I remember you. You're Morgana's right hand man.'

'I was, yes, but-'

'Why are you here?'

'I have something that I have to tell you in person.'

'Why should I trust you after what you did to me?'

'I didn't do anything to you, it was Morga-'

'You stood by watching, leaving me to die!'

Merlin is clenching his hands around the reins. He is so worked up and focused on the conversation inside his head that he doesn't realize what is happening around him. His horse has stopped to eat fresh grass on the side of the road. The knights are so busy trying to follow Gwaine's story that they fail to notice Merlin's absence.

'After I found out who you were I was planning to help you escape.'

'But you didn't! I escaped by myself!'

'I… Morgana is hunting me.'

'Why should I care?'

'Because I have important information to tell you before she finds me.'

Merlin hears someone calling his name faintly in the distance.

'I can't trust you.'

'Emrys-'

'Leave me alone!'

'Emrys please, I-' Merlin blocks him out with magic.

"Merlin!" He jumps back to reality and focuses on his surroundings. The knights are positioned in a semi-circle around him, all with grins on their faces.

"Merlin, what are you doing this time?" Arthur asks.

"I uh…I must have dozed off."

"I guess we should take a break before we have to carry you back ourselves."

* * *

Everyone gets off their horse, tie them to trees and sit down together except for Merlin who, after giving the horses water, immediately walks to a tree further away and sits down against it. _He has been acting a bit strange since he fell off his horse,_ Lancelot thinks. _Why did he even fall off in the first place? He claims to be tired but I think something else is going on. I wonder if it has something to do with magic._

"What's wrong with him?" Leon asks.

"Don't worry, I've got this." Gwaine gets up but Lancelot stops him. If it does have something to do with magic then Lancelot might be the only one Merlin would be willing to talk to right now.

"Please, allow me."

Gwaine nods and sits back down. Lancelot walks to Merlin and crouches beside him. Merlin doesn't react. Lancelot notices Merlin's face being very pale and he is holding his left arm close to his body.

"Merlin what's wrong?" he doesn't answer, he doesn't even look at Lancelot, he has his gaze fixed on the ground in front of him. Lancelot puts a hand on Merlin's shoulder, startling him. Merlin looks at the hand on his shoulder, follows it up to Lancelot's face, looks around and finally stares at the ground again. _He must've been in deep thoughts before I startled him._ _I wonder what he's thinking about. It must be the reason why he's so anxious_. Lancelot kneels in front of Merlin and places his hands on his shoulders, Merlin is trembling.

"Merlin, look at me." Merlin looks up and Lancelot sees fear in his eyes. "What's going on? You're pale and trembling and you're jumpy. I can tell something is bothering you." Merlin looks away.

"Is something frightening you?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You know you can tell me anything. Let me help you."

"Please just… leave me alone." Merlin buries his head in his lap. Lancelot doesn't want to push him any further because clearly something serious is upsetting him. _I'll let him cool off, maybe he'll be willing to talk about it later._ Lancelot gets up and moves back to the others who look at him expecting a reason for Merlin's behavior.

"So prince charming, what did our damsel in distress have to say?" Gwaine asks with a big grin on his face.

"He didn't want to tell me."

"He's probably embarrassed because he fell off his horse." Arthur says, they all laugh.

Lancelot is worried and knows he's not the only one. Gwaine must have picked up on Merlin's odd behavior as well since he has glanced over at Merlin regularly over the past half hour and hasn't said a word since. In fact, no one has said anything at all, excluding Arthur who is taking a nap. It's as if Gwaine and Merlin are the only ones who can keep a conversation going. Now one of them is worried about the other and the other is sitting by himself anxious about something. Lancelot sighs, he wishes he could do something. Arthur wakes up and breaks the silence.

"Let's head back, it's getting late."

Merlin had fallen asleep short after Lancelot came by. He had been so tense that his body needed a break. He wakes up from Arthur's nudge.

"Wake up sleepyhead! It's time to go back."

Merlin is about to mount his horse when he hears the Druid's voice again. 'Emrys if you change your mind I'll be waiting at the ruins of Neshir.' Merlin looks up, his eyes widen and he stares out in front of him; entering another trance.

"Merlin!" He quickly snaps out of it and looks at Arthur. "Are you coming or would you like to sleep in the woods tonight." Merlin mounts his horse and for the entire trip home he doesn't say a word.

Later that night Merlin lies in his bed woken up by another nightmare; he was chased by bandits. He was running a fast as he could but it felt like he wasn't moving an inch. The bandits were quickly catching up. He saw Arthur and the knights about 20 feet ahead with their backs turned to him. He was screaming his head off calling for them. The knights slowly turned around and their faces were all replaced by the Druid's face. Merlin froze in horror. Arthur still had his back turned towards him. He couldn't move to Arthur or call him. He couldn't do anything. He felt helpless. Suddenly a high pitched laughter was echoing around. He turned around to find the source and saw Morgana standing behind the bandits. She grinned evilly as the bandits approached Merlin with their swords held high. Just before they hit, Merlin woke up panting and sweating.

He is sitting up with his hands leaning behind him on the bed and his head hanging back with his eyes closed telling himself it was just a dream. He calms down and takes a sip of water from the glass on his nightstand. He lies back down and his thoughts automatically turn to the conversation he had with the Druid.

_Why did he contact me? He said he has important information but he could tell someone else. Why me? He knows I won't trust him and that I would never want to see him again. He did say that Morgana is after him, he probably hasn't told her that I am Emrys. I wonder why and I wonder what he so desperately needs to tell me. The ruins of Neshir are a few hours away on horseback. I would have to go on foot if I was to sneak out without anyone noticing. If I leave early it would only take me a day to get there, listen to what he has to tell me and be back before sunset if all goes well. If I get trouble along the way I have my magic to help me out. However… I would make everyone worry about me, unless Gaius makes up an excuse for me as he usually does. What do I do when I meet the Druid though? I will probably relive everything, but I'll be able to question him and find some answers._

After some time thinking about it his curiosity takes the better of him. He jumps out of bed and sneaks out of Camelot in the early morning. He sees the sun coming up between the trees as he walks through the mud. It rained during the night but luckily the sky is clear now. Merlin's thoughts trail off as the birds wake up and start singing. He has been going for a while now. His body is walking on autopilot while his mind is busy processing his rapidly changing thoughts. He doesn't notice multiple twigs snap behind him. He gets knocked on the head and falls to the ground, unconscious.

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**A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for the nice reviews! Hope you enjoy this one as much, or maybe even more :)**

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Arthur is wondering why Merlin isn't up yet. He is supposed to help him get ready for the arrival of a noble guest tomorrow. He sighs at the thought of his manservant having been at the tavern again. _What am I going to do with him…_ _Perhaps I should ban him from the tavern_.

"Merlin!" he yells as he bursts through Gaius' door. He finds Gaius sitting at his table reading through some books. "Well at least someone here is already hard at work. Where's Merlin?" he says as Gaius slowly stands up from his chair.

"I do not know where Merlin is sire. He wasn't here when I woke up."

"You're sure he's not in there?" he points to the few steps leading up to Merlin's room.

"I am sure sire. His bed was cold when I checked this morning. He must have gone out quite early." Arthur tries to think of the places where Merlin could have gone this early in the morning. He turns around and heads to the door. "I am a bit worried to be honest. He was acting rather strange last night." Gaius adds. Arthur turns around to look at Gaius.

"What do you mean acting strange?"

"He did not want to talk. I could tell there was something bothering him but he wouldn't tell me."

Arthur _did_ notice Merlin being jumpy and he was quieter than usual during the patrol yesterday. But he just thought it to be the usual strange and clumsy Merlin. He didn't think that something was wrong with him. Arthur is becoming a bit worried now.

"I'll have someone look for him."

"Thank you sire." Gaius bows as Arthur leaves the room. He heads to the throne room and asks one of the guards standing by the doors to get Leon, Lancelot and Gwaine. He then walks to his throne and sits in his chair. He positions himself in a pensive position. His elbow is leaning on one arm of the chair with his head resting on his fist while his other hand clutches the other arm of the chair. He stares out in front of him and starts to think intensively, something he usually does when he has to think of an attack strategy.

_If I were Merlin, where would I sneak off to?_ Arthur immediately thinks of the tavern although Merlin wouldn't go this early during the day. _That would be too idiotic, even for Merlin. He wouldn't be gathering herbs either, Gaius would have known and told me. And he definitely is not doing chores because I would've seen him. He probably isn't even in Camelot right now. He must've gone to the woods._

Arthur becomes frustrated by not finding an explanation. _It doesn't make sense why Merlin would go out so early in the morning. It certainly doesn't make sense why he would go to the woods alone without telling anyone. He knows it is dangerous out there. The whole point of the patrol yesterday was to look for the bandits who have been sighted in the woods lately._

Arthur's face turns grave as he remembers that time, a couple of months ago, when they had to leave Merlin behind during a patrol. They got ambushed and driven back. They couldn't get to Merlin so Arthur had to leave him behind. Merlin escaped but wandered through the woods for three days while injured. He was found lying somewhere close to the city of Camelot; unconscious and in a bad condition. Arthur had been worried sick. He doesn't want to think of the possibility of that happening again. The doors of the throne room open and Leon, Lancelot and Gwaine enter.

"You sent for us my Lord?" Leon says.

Arthur stands up in one swift motion and starts pacing back and forth in front of his knights.

"Did Merlin seem strange to you yesterday?"

"Yes now that you mention it he did fall off his horse." Gwaine replies. The knights laugh and Arthur can't help but smile at the image. He paces to the windows overlooking the courtyard.

"Is something wrong sire?" Leon asks. Arthur's expression changes from amusement to grim.

"Merlin is missing," he says while looking at the tree line where Merlin might be wandering around again. The knights drop their smiles as they wait for Arthur to continue as he walks towards his chair and sits back down. "He wasn't in his room when I went to see him this morning. His bed was cold so he must have gone out early. I was wondering if any of you noticed something strange about him yesterday."

Lancelot takes a step forward. "I noticed something sire. He was indeed acting strange. He wasn't himself; he was very quiet and he kept looking somewhere as if someone was following us. If you allow me I'd like to look for him in the woods."

"I want to join him." Gwaine immediately adds.

"No, I need you here Gwaine. Lancelot can take care of himself."

"But he might-"

Arthur holds up his hand. "Don't argue with me Gwaine. I'm not in a good mood."

He turns to Lancelot. "He probably went on foot to go unnoticed so he couldn't have gone far. I want you back before nightfall."

"Yes sire." Lancelot bows and the knights turn towards the door.

"Oh and Lancelot?" Lancelot turns around. "Bring him home safe and conscious this time."

"I'll do my best sire."

Arthur watches as the knights leave the room. He is confident that one of his best knights will surely be able to find Merlin. Especially Lancelot who was the one that found him last time. Arthur shouldn't have anything to worry about, yet he feels uneasy about the whole situation. How could he have been so stupid to not have noticed? Merlin better have a good reason for this.

* * *

Lancelot tracks Merlin until late afternoon. He leaves his horse and follows the footprints, broken branches and drag marks which lead him straight to two bandits. He watches from behind a tree as they eat their meal. He sees a body lying next to the bandits, it's Merlin. Lancelot is surprised that Merlin got this far on foot. His hands are tied in front of him and he's not moving. _He must be unconscious. Great_, he tells himself as he thinks back of what Arthur told him. He does not see any sign of other bandits. With a little luck the odds will be in his favor when he attacks, because that's his only option. It would be impossible to sneak out an unconscious Merlin from under their noses. He walks towards the bandits.

"It seems you have something that belongs to me." He gestures towards Merlin. The bandits put their bowls down, stand up and draw their swords.

"I guess I'll have to get him by force." Lancelot takes off his red cape and draws his sword. He spins it around with a swift motion of his wrist and stretches his neck. "This is going to be fun!"

The bandits look at each other, let out a battle cry and storm towards him. They both hold their swords up vertically and try to land a blow. Lancelot blocks their swords with his and pushes them back. One of them loses his balance, trips and falls to the ground while the other runs back towards Lancelot. The bandit swings his sword in a semi-circle to where Lancelot's head is. Lancelot ducks and stabs the bandit in the man falls to the ground just as the other one comes charging in. They trade thrusts and parries with high speed until Lancelot finds an opening and punches the bandit in the face, knocking him over. Lancelot takes a step back as the bandit gets up. They start circling around with a defensive stance. The bandit suddenly lunges his sword forward. Lancelot manages to dodge it and they continue trading thrusts and parries.

Lancelot suddenly catches a glimpse of someone behind him. He pushes the bandit back and turns around just in time to block an incoming blow. He clearly missed the presence of the third bandit. As well as the fourth and fifth who now point their swords very close to Lancelot's chest and back. There were five bandits in total, one dead and three appeared out of nowhere. Lancelot is surrounded. He won't be able to outsmart them from this close. He drops his sword, gets punched in the stomach and falls to his knees.

"Well, well, a knight of Camelot. You'll be a fine slave," the man in front of him says. "Tie his hands behind his back," he orders the others. The bandit puts his face in front of Lancelot's and grins. "We don't want our gold mine to get away." Lancelot hears someone kneel behind him putting his hands together.

"You're making a mistake." Lancelot says. The bandit punches him in the face. "_You_ made a mistake by coming here to find your-," the bandit looks over at Merlin and smiles, "he must be your servant." The bandit picks up Lancelot's sword, "Let's pack up!"

Lancelot groans when the rope around his wrists is tightened and a knot is made. He is then blindfolded and the men move away. Lancelot is kneeled on the ground practically immobilized. He tries to position his hands so that the rope doesn't cut his wrists as much but it's too tight. He hears a sudden water splash followed by a familiar groan.

"Get them up! We're heading back."

He hears a lot of stumbling where Merlin is while he himself is helped up.

"Lancelot?" Merlin says.

"Be quiet and start walking!"

"Where are you taking us?" Lancelot asks.

"I don't have to answer to a slave."

"Slave?" Merlin exclaims. Lancelot hears him stumble.

"Be quiet or you'll be gagged!"

* * *

After an hour of listening to the bandits rambling on about how they outsmarted a knight of Camelot they arrive at what looks like a gigantic boulder lying against a hill but turns out to be the bandits' hideout. They enter through a fairly wide opening that leads to a short tunnel. They walk through and end up in a large room.

It looks like a quarter of a circle with one corner and a curved wall. The two walls connected to the corner both lead to a tunnel, presumably both to an exit as the boulder doesn't look big enough to hide more than this room. Opposite to the corner is the curved wall with a small alcove that has a barred door. Probably a prison Merlin assumes. The room is big enough to house about 20 bandits in total. It is lit by torches hanging from the walls and the campfire in the middle. The corner is the sleeping area and is separated by thick curtains hanging from the ceiling.

Apparently the small alcove is indeed a prison as their blindfolds are taken off, their hands are untied and they're both thrown inside. The bandits gather around the campfire as Merlin sits down with his back against the wall facing Lancelot. He puts his hand on his forehead, closes his eyes and groans. Walking for an hour after being knocked on the head certainly did not help with the headache he's been having since he regained consciousness. Merlin looks at Lancelot who is rubbing his wrists where the rope was.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Merlin looks away, feeling guilty. "What were you thinking going to the woods all by yourself! Last time you were running for three days! Arthur's worried so I came looking for you. We're supposed to be back before dark but it seems that won't be the case." Lancelot looks at the barred door. "Can't you use magic to get us out of here?"

"Since you're captured as well Arthur will probably come looking for us himself. I can't risk using magic when he can be here any time. And the bandits would notice. I prefer not hurting anyone unless it's absolutely necessary." They both stare at the ground for a while and listen to the bandits enjoying their, apparently stolen, ale.

"Merlin, what _were_ you doing out in the woods? What happened yesterday?" Merlin decides it's probably time to tell him what actually happened after they were ambushed five months ago.

"Lancelot, I-" he is cut off by a bandit.

"Be quiet you two!"

Merlin continues a bit quieter. "I need to show you something."

Merlin holds out his left arm and pulls back his sleeve, revealing a bandage underneath. He didn't have one on during the patrol the day before because he didn't want to attract attention to it. He takes it off and Lancelot gasps at the sight. A three inch cut starting at the wrist, running parallel along the arm right next to the artery and tendon. The wound is open and the inside is clearly visible. It's not to the bone but it's fairly deep. It looks fresh and clean as if it happened moments ago but no blood is coming out. It's as if an invisible force is keeping the wound from healing but also keeping it from bleeding.

"Did they do this to you?" Lancelot inspects the wound.

"No, this didn't happen today."

"When did this happen?"

"Five months ago."

"Five months ago? Impossible. Why isn't it healed yet?" Merlin doesn't answer. "Wait, five months ago? But that's when-. There's something you haven't told us is there?"

Merlin nods.

"The wound was inflicted by magic wasn't it?

Merlin nods again.

"Does Gaius know about this?"

"He knows about the wound but not the truth about how I got it."

"Merlin, what haven't you told us?"

"I-" Merlin takes a deep breath. "I lied about everything."

"What do you mea-"

A bandit hits the barred door causing it to tremble in its hinges. "Be quiet or you won't get food for the next two days!"

Merlin looks at Lancelot and sees the many questions on his face. _I can't keep quiet now. I finally have the courage to tell him what really happened. It's now or never._

'Lancelot!' he says using telepathy. Lancelot jumps and looks at Merlin with a surprised look.

"Merlin what are you doing?" he whispers.

'Don't worry, I'm using telepathy.' Merlin holds his index finger in front of his mouth. Lancelot looks at him confused. 'I can talk to you in your head. Something only druids can do, and some other sorcerers as well, but now the bandits won't be able to hear me. There's something I need to tell you; five months ago after the ambush I did not run for three days, I was captured.' Lancelot looks at him even more confused. 'I was captured by Morgana.' Lancelot closes his eyes for a brief moment and sighs as he takes in the news. Merlin hesitates, 'she tortured me.' Lancelot looks shocked and opens his mouth to talk. Merlin quickly continues. 'I lied because I didn't want to be reminded of it by everyone being concerned about me. I escaped using magic so I wouldn't have been able to tell Arthur. But something happened while I was captured. It will help explain my strange behavior yesterday and why I am out here.'

* * *

**About five months ago after they were ambushed during a patrol Arthur was forced to leave Merlin behind. Merlin was captured and taken to Morgana:**

**Morgana decides to take a break from the torturing. After two days Merlin still hasn't given her any useful information and she doesn't want to kill him just yet. Merlin has been screaming his lungs out for the past hour due to the agonizing pain. She decides to let him rest for the night hoping he will break the next day. He won't be able to resist for much longer, it's only a matter of time before he breaks. Morgana exits the little cottage and rides away on her horse, leaving Merlin alone.**

**He is left hanging with his hands chained to the ceiling. Not a very comfortable position to rest in during the night but he won't notice since he's about to pass out any minute. Blood is slowly running down his left arm from the wound inflicted by Morgana's magic dagger. The wound causes an uncomfortable throbbing pain which irritates Merlin deeply. His knees are bending slightly; he has no strength to keep standing, it's all drained from him by Morgana's brute torture. His magic is his only life force right now, it's keeping him breathing. He could've used it to escape, but then Morgana would know. He hasn't told her anything yet. He'd rather die than betray Camelot. He is surprised that he isn't already. It's as if his magic has a life of its own and is protecting him from inside.**

**He is exhausted, his head feels heavy. He decides that there is no point to keep it up so he lowers it until it is hanging down lifelessly. He closes his eyes, ready to pass out.**

'**I know you have magic,' a distant voice suddenly says.**

**Merlin holds his breath while he tries to figure out where the voice is coming from. Somewhere in the room? No, it can't be, he was sure he was alone. He didn't see anyone else when Morgana was torturing him. There was something about the voice though; it was too clear to have come from within the room. He concludes that the voice must have been in his head. **_**I'm probably imagining it**_** he blames himself. But then he hears a slight shuffle in the corner of the room. **_**There's someone here. He must have been hiding out of sight**_**.**

'**Morgana might be blind to see but I can sense it. I can sense your power,' the voice continues.**

**Merlin is irritated by the abrupt interruption from passing out. And the last thing he wanted was to have a conversation; he doesn't have the strength for it. He is becoming a bit curious though to whom the person is. It must be a sorcerer since he is using telepathy, probably a druid. He doesn't like the thought of a druid aiding Morgana. Despite his curiosity Merlin does not answer.**

'**I know you can hear me. Don't worry I won't tell her.'**

'**Why bother… Just tell her so she can kill me.' Merlin answers automatically and immediately wishes he didn't. He wishes talking through telepathy was as difficult as talking out loud right now because then he'd have a solid excuse to not respond.**

'**She doesn't know who you really are.'**

'**What does it matter who I am.'**

'**There is only one person who could have such great power as you possess,' the man pauses to take a few steps forward. He is now standing in front of Merlin, keeping a few feet in between for his own comfort. 'My Lord.'**

**Hearing those two words captures Merlin's interest. He forces himself to lift up his head and look at the face that called him that. He can see the man's face, or rather multiple faces as he is still on the verge of passing out. He puts some effort in putting the faces back as one and finds himself looking at a druid. A middle aged man with dark hair, wearing a mossy green robe.**

'**Who are you?' Merlin asks. The druid doesn't answer, he continues ignoring the interruption.**

'**I've heard rumors about you but I never thought I'd come face to face with you Emrys.'**

**Merlin looks the druid straight in the eye which makes the druid a little uncomfortable. Merlin might be exhausted, weak and restrained but to the druid's eyes he is a powerful warlock.**

'**What do you want from me?' Merlin asks.**

'**I only wish to know why you risk your life to protect Arthur Pendragon.' The druid replies.**

**Merlin lowers his head when he hears Arthur's name. He thinks of his king, his friend. He thinks about the times that he saved his life. Now he's Morgana's captive hanging helplessly from the ceiling, unable to reach for Arthur. He doesn't want to talk anymore, he wants to be left alone. He becomes more irritated. Frustration and anger starts to build up inside him.**

_**Please stop talking**_** he thinks.**

'**You are the most powerful sorcerer alive Emrys. You're destined for great things. Yet you choose to go through life as a servant of Camelot; the kingdom that hates all magic. The kingdom that slaughtered hundreds of innocent men, women and children during the Great Purge. The kingdom that will burn you on a pyre if they find out who you really are.'**

_**Stop**_**.**

'**I want you to tell me why. Why protect Arthur?' the druid demands.**

_**Stop!**_

'**Answer me!'**

**Merlin can't take it anymore. The frustration and anger that has been building up inside of him erupts. In one movement he stands up, looks at the druid with tears in his eyes and shouts out loud; "BECAUSE HE'S MY KING!"**

**His body has no strength left for an outburst so it uses magic instead. The magic blasts out of him with the same intensity as his words. It is so powerful that the druid is sent back flying into some shelves, knocking them over. Flasks and pots instantly explode where they stand. Mirrors fall off the walls and shatter. Candles are blown out. The ceiling creaks as the shockwave goes through the entire cottage. Merlin ignores the after effect of his little outburst and continues his reply.**

"**And my friend! And I will do anything in my power to protect him!"**

**His heavy breathing slows down after he lets out a sigh of exhaustion. That outburst was too much for his body to bear. He falls back to his previous hanging position and lowers his head.**

**The druid gets up and looks at Merlin shocked. He's taken aback by what the young warlock said. Fear takes over as he carefully takes a few steps back; stumbling over a pile of books. He never expected Emrys to still have such power when being so weak, he clearly underestimated him.**

**Merlin's vision becomes blurry again, black spots appear rapidly. Before everything goes black he manages to say, "I wouldn't expect an ally of Morgana to understand."**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: *sigh* I would have published this chapter yesterday if I was able to upload it... Found a way around the annoying error. Anyway, Enjoy!  
**

* * *

The sun has gone down and they're not back yet. Arthur can't send out a patrol because the noble guest wishes to observe Arthur's men in training. Arthur looks out the bedroom window. It's been unusually quiet without Merlin's constant prattle. He doesn't want to admit it but he misses his manservant. There's a knock on the door. "Come in!" Arthur isn't surprised to see Gwaine enter the room.

"I know what you're going to say." Arthur says.

"Then I'd like you to know that you won't be able to stop me," Gwaine interrupts. "I'm heading out first thing in the morning."

Arthur sighs; he knows he won't be able to convince Gwaine to not go. He would rather go himself but he can't; the noble guest arrives tomorrow at noon.

"Make sure you're back before nightfall this time."

"I wouldn't want to leave my princess waiting." Gwaine grins.

Arthur shoots him a look. "Sir Gwaine, this is not the time to joke around. If you're not back tomorrow night I will be forced to be disrespectful towards my guest and come look for you myself. I will hold all three of you responsible if that happens."

Arthur sees the grin on Gwaine's face disappear. "I'm sure Merlin has a good reason for this, sire."

"He better."

* * *

The next morning Gwaine sets out early, determined to find his friends. It doesn't take him long to find Lancelot's horse close to the area where Lancelot fought the bandits. There he finds signs of a fight. _Merlin must've been here as well, Lancelot wouldn't just attack someone_. His face turns grave when he finds Lancelot's red cape and a large puddle of blood not far apart. _No one can survive losing this much blood_, _it better not be Lancelot's_. As Gwaine picks up Lancelot's red cape he notices footprints and follows them until he reaches a big rock.

The footprints lead to an opening in the rock where they turn into muddy smears on the stony ground. He is just about to enter when he suddenly hears a loud clatter followed by voices. He manages to hide behind a tree just in time as a bandit casually walks out. The bandit walks around the rock until he is out of sight. _There must be at least more than five bandits inside. Lancelot wouldn't have gone down without a good fight_. Gwaine has to find a way to lure the bandits out so that he can sneak in. He quickly gathers some wood to make a campfire not far from the hideout. He doesn't light it all the way but just enough to make it smoke a lot. Hopefully the bandits will think that someone recently put it out and is still nearby.

Gwaine loops back to the hideout, passing through a small river to cover his tracks. He'll have enough time to sneak in and free Lancelot and Merlin. He hides and waits for the bandits to notice the smoke. The bandit who went on a patrol comes back and notices the smoke. He runs inside and a few seconds later more than ten bandits run out with their swords and crossbows drawn. They run towards the campfire. Gwaine draws his sword as well and carefully enters the hideout, expecting some bandits to have stayed inside to guard their prisoners.

Inside he encounters two bandits. He easily kills one and knocks the other out. "Gwaine" he hears. He turns to the alcove and sees Lancelot and Merlin standing behind the barred door.

"Merlin, you better have a very good reason to be out here because if we're not back before nightfall we're all in trouble."

"I'm sorry." Merlin replies.

"Tell that to Arthur, he's in a really bad mood." Gwaine looks around, "Where's the key?"

"Hanging on the wall." Lancelot replies.

Gwaine gets the key and lets them out. Lancelot quickly grabs his sword from a pile of weapons. Merlin grabs the sword from one of the guards on the ground as they move towards the exit. Before they even reach the small tunnel the bandits return and now stand spread out before them. Merlin turns around towards the other tunnel where four bandits appear. They are completely surrounded, Gwaine knows they can't win a fight against 17 bandits.

"Well well, _two_ knights of Camelot. It must be our lucky day boys! Let's have some fun!" a man says.

The bandits slowly circle around them and they're now standing back to back forming a triangle. A few months ago Arthur added a new training method so that the knights will get experience in fighting multiple opponents at the same time. Gwaine knows that their training won't work this time since there are too many bandits but they will not give up without trying.

"Just like in training Lancelot?" Gwaine says with a grin.

"Except this time we can't use Merlin as a shield."

"Very funny guys…" Merlin adds.

One of the bandits lunges towards Gwaine, opening the fight. Gwaine easily blocks the attack and kicks him back. The bandit is quickly replaced by two others. Out of the corner of his eye he notices that the circle has broken up now that everyone is fighting; Lancelot seems to be trying to drive the bandits away from the rear tunnel while protecting Merlin who is aiding him. He turns his attention back to the two bandits in front of him who have now become five. They have formed a circle around him trying to separate him from Lancelot and Merlin. _They're not as stupid as I thought._

One of them attacks, Gwaine's block is followed by parries. He notices someone coming up behind him holding up a sword ready to strike. Gwaine ducks and the bandit's sword knocks the sword out of the other bandit's hand. _I take that back, they're stupid._

Gwaine gets up and kicks one of them in the stomach, the bandit falls to his knees and is taken out of the circle by others. The bandit who got the sword knocked out of his hand picks it back up and attacks Gwaine again. They parry until Gwaine finds an opening and punches the man in the face, causing him to fall backwards. The other bandits catch the man and help him back up. Another bandit steps in the circle taking the other one's place. _Are they just toying with me? When I injure one of them, another just takes his place. They have me outnumbered. They could've captured me a long time ago._

He becomes annoyed and tries to focus more to land a lethal blow and end their little game. Suddenly Gwaine sees an object pass right next to him. _An arrow._ He does not have time to look where it came from as the bandit in front him attacks. The bandits are using the same strategy as before, but this time Gwaine is ready for them. He notices someone coming up behind him again, holding up a sword. He quickly punches the man in front of him, turns around and stabs the other one in the chest, instantly killing him.

It's as if he struck a nerve, the smiles and grins on the bandit's faces disappear and are replaced by angry glares. _I guess the fun is over. _A bandit steps in the circle again, he and Gwaine circle around, making Gwaine stand with his back towards Lancelot and Merlin when another arrow flies by. It again misses Gwaine but it seems to have found a target as Merlin lets out a cry of pain.

"Merlin!" Gwaine exclaims. He quickly looks behind him to see where Merlin is hit; the arrow has embedded itself into his calf. Gwaine turns his attention back in front of him but it's too late. He gets a heavy blow to his face and falls to the ground. Before he can get back up he is overpowered by three bandits. He struggles but their grip is too strong, he's forced on his knees and watches as Lancelot tries to fend off seven bandits at the same time. He looks around to find Merlin but he's nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Merlin is leaning against the wall of the other tunnel. He can still hear the sound of swords hitting one another. He assesses the damage done to his calf; the arrow went deep but it did not hit the bone. He can't just pull the arrow out, it might do more damage. But if he doesn't take care of it soon the blood loss will take effect and weaken him. It hurts tremendously, every time he moves his leg he has to fight his instinct which tells him to pull the arrow out.

He feels helpless. He can't help his friends this way. They're heroically fighting the bandits while he's cowering away. Maybe it's time to use his magic before the situation gets out of hand. But what if he makes things worse? Does something terrible? Hurts his friends? It suddenly became very quiet; the thought of Gwaine and Lancelot being dead fills his mind. _Am I too late? They can't be dead…_ _they can't be dead_. He stands up and groans when he puts weight on his injured leg. _I should've acted earlier. Idiot._

"I know you're there!" a voice says coming from within the cave. Merlin freezes. "Show yourself or your friends are done for!" _My friends are done for? So they're not dead!_ Merlin feels somewhat relieved; Gwaine and Lancelot are not dead, at least not yet. His relief quickly turns into dismay as he realizes that he's completely outnumbered now that they're captured. He won't be able to do much physically because of his leg, but he has to do something. He doesn't have a choice; he'll have to use magic. He limps towards the cave, still holding the sword he picked up earlier. He comes around the corner and sees Gwaine and Lancelot held down on their knees by bandits. It takes three of them to hold down Gwaine, he always hated being captured.

"Ah there he is!" says the bandit standing in between Gwaine and Lancelot. Merlin looks at the man and feels there's something different about him compared to the others. He doesn't look like a regular bandit. The man is wearing black clothes like the others. His pants are held up by a leather belt with a silver belt buckle. His black shirt is tucked in his pants and the three top buttons are missing; revealing a silver amulet hanging from a small long chain around his neck. It looks like a crow's skull made from a shiny metal with two red rubies as eyes. It looks familiar but Merlin can't place it. _He must be the one in charge._ The man has a big ring on his left hand and a fancy dagger in his right.

"I wouldn't hurt them if I were you." Merlin says.

"What are you going to do? You're injured and outnumbered, there's nothing you can do but surrender."

"Don't underestimate me!" The bandits laugh at him. He looks at Lancelot who nods. Lancelot surely knows what Merlin has to do; he will have to use magic to get his friends out of this situation alive. He doesn't want to use it though, especially not now that he is emotional and under pressure. He's still afraid he'll hurt his friends, but then again the bandits will hurt them if Merlin doesn't surrender. But he cannot surrender, he will not surrender.

"It's eight to one, you really don't stand a chance." Gwaine manages to jerk his arm free and punches one of the bandits holding him in the face. Gwaine tries to get up but is immediately pinned back down.

"We've got a feisty one over here." The man walks towards Gwaine and stands behind him, he pulls Gwaine's head back by his hair and places the dagger on his throat.

"Don't touch him!" Merlin shouts. The bandit slowly makes a cut on Gwaine's throat. Merlin sees a small red line appear. Gwaine groans and blood starts running down his neck. Merlin glares at the man in anger. His heart is pumping fast. He starts to breathe faster. He clenches his fists. Grits his teeth. It's too much for him. He can't handle seeing his friends in danger and being the cause of it. Combined with thinking back of the torture and the druid, this is what Merlin has been afraid of. He can't control his emotions right now. He can't stay calm.

"Look guys, our little friend is becoming angry," the bandits burst out laughing "Let's see how far we can push him."

"That's a bad idea." Lancelot says.

"Oh really, I'd like to see what he'll try to do."

"You really shouldn't provoke him." The man walks over to Lancelot, pulls back his head and places the bloody dagger on his throat just like the man did with Gwaine.

"You sure have a lot of confidence in your little friend." He says while holding his head next to Lancelot's.

"Surrender or this time I won't hold back!" Merlin knows he'll have to act now, he has to do something.

The man is about to cut Lancelot's throat when suddenly time seems to slow down for Merlin. It feels as if his life is flashing before his eyes. He suddenly remembers everything that happened; the farm where he grew up, his mother smiling at him, Camelot when he first saw it, Gaius, Arthur, Gwen, Leon, Percival, Lancelot, Gwaine, Morgana. He sees the joy in Morgana's face when she tortured him. He sees the druid, the bandits, the blood slowly running down Gwaine's neck and dripping from the dagger. He can see the muscles in the bandit's hand tense as he is about to draw the dagger across Lancelot's neck.

It feels as if minutes have passed, yet only a fraction of a second went by. Merlin's mind is clear, he's purely acting on instinct. His emotions are controlling his magic. His eyes flash gold and the bandits all fly against the walls in different directions and fall to the ground lifelessly. Lancelot and Gwaine are knocked backwards by the bandits holding them. It takes a few seconds for Merlin to realize what he has done. He drops the sword and freezes into place, staring at the motionless bodies.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for the late update but I ran out of pre-written parts and my exams begin next week so it will probably take longer for my next chapter to come up as well. Anyway, enjoy!  
**

* * *

Gwaine sits up and puts a hand on his throat, it might not be a deep cut but it stings a lot. He knows what just happened, Merlin used magic. He saw Merlin's eyes flash gold and then the bandits flew away. Merlin used magic, he lied this entire time. There was something weird about the magic but Gwaine can't figure it out. He looks at Merlin who is still standing on the same spot, staring out in front of him. _Why isn't he moving_? Gwaine turns his head as Lancelot stands up. Lancelot looks at Merlin and then to Gwaine and moves towards him. Lancelot looks extremely calm, too calm for what just happened.

"You knew didn't you? Since you're not as surprised as I am." Lancelot doesn't say anything but the look on his face says enough. _He knew, he must have known for a while now_. Lancelot reaches out his hand and pulls Gwaine up.

"How's your neck?" Lancelot inspects Gwaine's wound. "It's not deep, you'll be fine. Try to keep pressure on it to stop the bleeding. I'll take a proper look at it later, we have to get out of here first."

"What are we going to do with Merlin?" Gwaine asks.

They both look at Merlin who collapses and drops to his knees. Merlin used magic right in front of Gwaine. Magic isn't allowed in Camelot, by law they should arrest him. No one knows though, only Lancelot and probably Gaius, and now Gwaine too. He can't arrest Merlin, he can't arrest his friend. But that same friend just killed more than a dozen bandits in one blow, he has powerful magic. Gwaine doesn't realize he is backing up a little, slightly frightened by the thought. He doesn't know how to feel about all of this yet, but Lancelot seems to trust the situation since he's now kneeling down beside Merlin.

"What have I done…" Merlin says while tears start running down his face. _Why is he crying?_ _Does he regret his actions? He's a sorcerer. Why does he feel guilty when he's lied to us this entire time? And why is Lancelot so calm? He's known all along that Merlin has magic, he could be hanged if I told Arthur. Why does he risk his life protecting Merlin?_ Gwaine feels confused and a bit jealous. Merlin told Lancelot but not him. _Have they never trusted me?_

"It's not your fault." Lancelot says while holding a hand on Merlin's back.

"I killed all those men, I couldn't control myself." Merlin's voice gets louder.

"He was about to kill me, if you hadn't intervened I wouldn't be here. You saved my life."

"I didn't have to kill them all. I could've just prevented the one from killing you." Merlin is very pale and it looks like his hands are shaking. "I killed them all." The ground begins to tremble. Merlin buries his head in his hands and keeps repeating the words: "I killed them all." The ceiling is cracking and rocks are falling down. Merlin is making the cave tremble with him.

"Lancelot!" Gwaine yells. He carefully backs up towards the exit.

"Merlin, calm down!" Lancelot tries to reach him but he doesn't respond. Lancelot grabs him by the shoulders and shakes him, "Merlin look at me!" He finally looks up, "You have to calm down." He looks around and the trembling stops. Lancelot sighs in relief, "Let's get out of here." Lancelot helps a limping Merlin out of the cave while Gwaine quickly gets the horses. They will travel much faster with Merlin on a horse than having to support or carry him. Gwaine walks a couple of feet behind them next to his horse, still unsure and even more alarmed. Merlin isn't just a sorcerer, he's now an unstable sorcerer. Gwaine feels uncomfortable but he doesn't want to leave, he has so many questions he wants answered first. Lancelot is an honest and noble man and he still trusts Merlin, even in his current state. Gwaine can't leave. Merlin must still be in there deep down inside; the Merlin he's always known and trusted. He can't abandon him when Merlin needs him more than ever.

* * *

They stop at a good place to rest, far enough from the cave. Lancelot puts Merlin down against a tree.

"Gwaine, why don't you get some wood for a fire." Gwaine nods and moves out of sight.

Lancelot turns his attention to Merlin's leg. "Does it hurt?" he asks Merlin.

"Only if I move it." Merlin looks exhausted, he is still pale and he has bloodshot eyes.

"The bleeding has stopped. I'll leave the arrow in for now so you can get some rest but I'll need to pull it out when you wake. Rest now." He helps Merlin lay down and positions a horse saddle as a pillow. Merlin falls asleep immediately. By the time Lancelot is done feeding the horses Gwaine is back with the wood. He has some trouble lighting it due to the moist from the rain two nights ago. After a short while he sits down cross legged in front of the fire.

* * *

Gwaine looks at Merlin. "How long have you known?" he asks Lancelot.

"Long before you came to Camelot."

"How?"

"A griffin was attacking the city so I charged towards it on horseback with a lance in my hand. I was able to kill it because Merlin enchanted my lance. I heard him saying the spell."

_So Merlin didn't tell him. He found out, just like me._

"How can you be so calm after what happened in the cave?"

Lancelot takes a deep breath. "You and I both know he would never hurt his friends. He has only used his magic for good; to protect Camelot and its king. That's why I never told anyone about his magic, and it wouldn't be _my_ place to tell anyway." Lancelot tears a piece of cloth from his cape and kneels down beside Gwaine.

"He needs my help and now that you know he'll need yours too so I suggest you grow a pair and stop being such a princess." Lancelot puts the cloth around Gwaine's throat, covering the wound.

"That's supposed to be my line." Gwaine says. Lancelot smiles as he tightens the cloth for a brief second making Gwaine choke. Lancelot's tease is answered by an evil look from Gwaine.

"I guess I'm just a bit overwhelmed by everything. I never imagined Merlin to be a sorcerer."

"There's something else you should know about Merlin. Remember that time when we had to leave Merlin behind after the ambush?"

"I remember it all too well. He's never been the same since."

"You noticed that too huh? Yesterday he told me what really happened."

"What _really_ happened? I thought he already told us. He was running for three days."

"He only ran for one day."

"Then what happened on the other two?"

"He was tortured."

Gwaine spat out the water he just drank from his wineskin. "Tortured?" he exclaims. "By who?"

"Morgana."

"That witch. I'll kill her next time I see her."

* * *

Lancelot told Gwaine every detail of Merlin's story. "You'll need to know everything if we are to help him," he said. Lancelot also told him that Merlin is Emrys. Gwaine had never heard of Emrys before. He still can't imagine Merlin being the most powerful sorcerer alive. The most powerful sorcerer had an emotional breakdown a few hours ago. How are they going to help him through this? They don't know anything about magic; only that it's better to stay away from it when it gets dangerous. One thing Gwaine does know though is that he'll help Merlin no matter what.

"Gwaine," he hears next to him. He wanted to sit by Merlin when he woke up. "Gwaine, I-"

"It's okay, Lancelot told me everything. I won't tell anyone, you're my friend."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He helps Merlin sit up. "How are you feeling?"

"Better."

"Good," says Lancelot. "It's time to get the arrow out of your leg."

"Can't we wait a little longer? He just woke up." Gwaine requests.

"The arrow has been in there long enough, it's already starting to infect. I'll have to pull it out slow to make sure the head doesn't break off."

Gwaine takes off Merlin's scarf, "Here, bite on this. It's going to hurt."

Lancelot starts pulling slowly and Merlin starts screaming. The sound is muffled a bit by the scarf in his mouth. Hopefully no one will hear him. The arrow is almost out when Merlin suddenly becomes quiet.

"Merlin what's wrong?" Gwaine asks, confused by the sudden silence.

"Nothing."

"What do you mean _nothing_?" Lancelot says, also confused. "I'm pulling out an arrow from your leg and you suddenly stopped screaming. What did you do?"

"I feel nothing."

"It doesn't hurt anymore?" Merlin nods. Lancelot pulls the arrow out and tears pieces of cloth from his cape to bandage the wound.

"I wished the pain would go away and… it's gone."

"I never thought it was possible to erase pain with magic. It must have been a powerful thought. Let's try to be careful what we wish for then, we don't want to regret anything else."

"Wait." Merlin stops Lancelot from bandaging the wound. "I want to try something first." Merlin sits up and holds his hand over his wound. "**Þurhhæle dolgbenn**" he says. Nothing happens. "**Þurhhæle dolgbenn**" he says louder. Still nothing happens. Merlin looks frustrated, "**Þurhhæle dolgbenn**!"

"I don't think it's going to work Merlin. You're still weak." Lancelot bandages the leg.

"I don't understand. I wished the pain would go away and it did, I try to heal my leg but it doesn't."

"Try to relight the fire." Gwaine says while looking at the smoldering wood.

"**Forbearnan**" Merlin says, still agitated by the failure of his previous spell. A six foot flame shoots up from the ashes, startling the horses and setting fire to Lancelot's sleeve who was sitting closest to the fire. Gwaine jumps up and runs to Lancelot who is hitting his arm to kill the flames. The fire lowers and Gwaine steps on some smoldering spots on the ground here and there to put them out.

"Well at least you got the fire going again." Gwaine says sarcastically.

"Let's take a break from using any magic." Lancelot pants. Merlin nods with a guilty look.

"We should head back to Camelot soon." Gwaine suggests. "Arthur will be waiting for us."

"I can't. I… there's something I have to do first."

"Merlin, you're in no shape to be doing anything. We have to go back."

"I came out here to meet someone. I'm not leaving before I do."

"Meeting someone? Who?" Merlin looks at Lancelot. "You left something out again didn't you?" Gwaine asks Lancelot.

"I was hoping Merlin forgot after his breakdown. The druid claims to have some important information for Merlin."

"The druid! You have got to be kidding me!"

"Gwaine, we're already close to the ruins of Neshir. I don't want him to go either but it wouldn't be wise to argue with him right now."

"I don't expect you to come with me, I can do it on my own." Merlin says.

"Don't be ridiculous Merlin, of course we're coming with you. You can't do this by yourself."

* * *

They put Merlin on a horse again. Even if he doesn't feel pain he shouldn't put too much weight on his leg. It's early evening when they arrive at the ruins of Neshir; a huge clearing hidden in the woods. Stone walls are the only thing left of the small keep that once stood here. Fresh green ivy grows on the blackened wood of huts and cottages. Wooden poles of tents still stick out of the ground.

"You'd better stay here, he's expecting me alone."

"Are you sure?" Lancelot asks.

"I'll be fine, I think."

"Shout if you need any help. Gwaine says.

Merlin enters the clearing and disappears behind some rubble while Lancelot and Gwaine wait at the edge of the woods.

"This doesn't feel right." Gwaine says while resting his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"I don't like it either but we wouldn't be much use against a sorcerer. How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine. How's your arm?"

"A little red, but nothing to wo-" Gwaine holds up his hand, gesturing Lancelot to be quiet. Lancelot hears a rustle and suddenly a figure in a long robe appears from behind a bush. His face is concealed by the big hood hanging over his head. He must not have heard the knights since he abruptly stops, obviously surprised to see them. Lancelot and Gwaine slowly pull their swords a few inches out of their sheaths. The man mutters a word and they're both thrown backwards a few feet. It took them too long to get back up. Two big fireballs are now flying towards them. Just before they hit their target they seem to hit an invisible wall instead and fall apart. The man flies backwards just like the knights did a moment ago.

Merlin appears from behind some trees and slowly steps towards the druid. He is clenching his fists and his eyes are gold. The swords from Lancelot and Gwaine's sheaths slide out and fly through the air until they're hovering next to Merlin's hip on either side. The druid crawls backwards on the ground as Merlin comes closer. When the druid bumps in to a tree the swords shoot forward.

"Merlin no!" Lancelot shouts.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger, again. It's just too perfect to end it here. :)**


End file.
